The scabbard is painted olive green and a specially-fabricated web belt hanger is attached to the frog loop by a steel fastener.

During 1951–52, Japanese Type 99 rifles and Type 30 bayonets were modified at a former Japanese Army Arsenal for use by the Korean Constabulary and the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA) program. Modifications included rechambering the rifles to fire the .30–06 cartridge and adding a belt hanger to the Type 30 bayonet scabbard, enabling its use with U.S. M1910 web equipment.

The KATUSA program was conceptualized by Gen. MacArthur as a way to provide U.S. Army combat units with knowledge of the geography and to enable U.S. units to more effectively distinguish between allied vs. enemy Korean troops. The program involved recruiting Korean men with at least some English language proficiency and imbedding them in U.S. Army combat units. Over 40,000 Korean troops served in the KATUSA forces during the Korean War. The KATUSA program was very successful. It is still operating in South Korea today and the concepts upon which the KATUSA program is based are evident in U.S. combat operations in the Middle East.

Military Assistance Program (MAP) records document that the U.S. provided South Korea 348,814 M1 rifles; a total of 577 M1C and M1D sniper rifles; and, 41,176 M5A1 bayonets to Korea between 1951 and 1972.

This is a Second World War U.S. M1 bayonet, whose blade has been shortened and slimmed to resemble the M4 bayonet blade. Korea used the designation "M5" for this bayonet, even though it was not a U.S. M5 bayonet. The old Federal Stock Number (FSN) for the M5 bayonet (1005-726-6556) was used to catalog this bayonet, since a different FSN had been assigned when the M5A1 bayonet was standardized for U.S. forces.

The scabbard is a a shortened U.S. M7 scabbard. The fiberglass body is covered in a thin soft steel sheathing and a thick coat of olive green paint.

These bayonets are also found in the U.S. M8A1 scabbard or the Korean K–M8A1 scabbard shown below. MAP records document that the U.S. provided South Korea 330,364 M8A1 scabbards between 1951 and 1972.

I had long classified these as unidentified, however, evidence consistently points to their origin as South Korean. As shown in the image at left, the bayonet is a U.S. M6, as identified by the recoil stop in the mortise.

The alterations are extensive. The conversion entails what seems to be an impractical amount of work. The original M6 guard was ground down to an oval, then a spacer inserted forward of the original guard, and forward of the spacer, what resembles a M4 guard. The added M4-style guard covers the ricasso up to original blade runout. The spacer and guard were welded to the vestiges of the original guard, then ground narrow to resemble the wartime M4. The guard on this example bears a marking somewhat resembling the 1/8-in. Defense Acceptance Stamp (DAS). The only M4 bayonets to bear this mark were the 1954 Imperial contract (Turner M4s had a 1/4-in. DAS). However, the M4-style guard is quite crude and the mark is indistinct, so may be something altogether different. Internally, the latching lever has been extended (perhaps stretched) at the rear to engage the bayonet lug much closer to the bayonet’s butt plate than on the M6. The upper portion of the butt plate has also been milled away.

The M8A1 scabbard with this example was assembled at the Pennsylvania Working Home for the Blind 1969–70.

A clone of the U.S. M5A1 bayonet, but not as well made. The grip scales on these are much thinner plastic than on the U.S. version and more prone to cracking.

Scabbard: "K–M8A1" and winged anchor & star logo on reverse.

MAP records document that the U.S. provided 30,847 M16 rifles and 15,822 M7 bayonets to Korea between 1968 and 1973. Korea subsequently manufactured the M16 under license.

An exact clone of the U.S. M7 bayonet and M8A1 Scabbard. Bayonet has a factory edge like U.S. M7s, but not as finely executed.

There are several Tong Yang corporations in So. Korea. I hadn't been able to determine which firm produced the scabbard. However, Dutch collector Jeffrey De Leur’s research confirmed the maker as Tong Yang Tech. Industries Co. Ltd. in Choongbuk, So. Korea. Tong Yang Tech. Industries was formed in 1957 to produce goods for the So. Korean Army.

Scabbard (Throat): "K–M8A1" on front and "Tong Yang" on reverse.